Report from Christopher McCarthy
The 1st thing to know about Riga is that the weather is extremely changeable. It was snowing heavily 4 days before the Marathon. 2 days after the Marathon there was a thunderstorm & torrential downpour. Locals often appear to be dressed in too many layers for the current conditions as though they expect temperatures to plummet at any moment.
The Marathon itself took place in over 20C heat accompanied by beaming sunshine. Conditions perfect for the crowds of spectators but brutally warm to run in & it got hotter & hotter as midday approached. This took a huge toll on me in the last few kilometres.
It's a surprisingly big event. Between a 6k, 10k, Half & Full there were over 25,000 participants from 70 countries. There is beautiful scenery along the way with perhaps the highlight being the Freedom Monument - a 42 Metre high Statue commemorating independence & Latvian sovereignty which is the beating heart of the city.
I had no intentions of running a PB due to excessive work & college commitments & an injury picked up just before the Youghal 5k in April. This allowed me to spend more time 'sightseeing' during the race. There were drummers, cheerleaders & Latvian folk dancers lining busy sections of the route all adding to the experience. In terms of architecture Riga has the largest number of Jugenstil buildings in the world. These buildings closing in over cobbled streets often have a fairy tale quality.
I registered for the race back in October 2016 & it cost €29. In terms of value for money for full Marathons I don't believe there is a better deal available anywhere in the world.
